


you could come and save me

by Pallet_and_Cerulean



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-10-27 05:36:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20755184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pallet_and_Cerulean/pseuds/Pallet_and_Cerulean
Summary: “It wasn’t like Edelgard to miss a lecture. If this were Bernadetta or Linhardt, Byleth wouldn’t have given it a second thought, but as far as she was concerned, Edelgard’s absence through the whole day of classes was cause for worry. Responsible and ever-diligent, the studious girl had never so much as talked out of turn, much less ditched a lecture, and that, more than anything, was what had Byleth concerned. If she was missing class, there was something wrong.”orEdelgard gets sick and Byleth checks up on her.





	you could come and save me

It wasn’t like Edelgard to miss a lecture. If this were Bernadetta or Linhardt, Byleth wouldn’t have given it a second thought, but as far as she was concerned, Edelgard’s absence through the whole day of classes was cause for worry. Responsible and ever-diligent, the studious girl had never so much as talked out of turn, much less ditched a lecture, and that, more than anything, was what had Byleth concerned. If she was missing class, there was something wrong. 

Checking with Hubert about it, since he seemed more and more like a shadow to the young princess, Byleth asked if he knew anything of what was going on. The only reply he had, somewhat somber, was that she had locked herself up in her room and refused to leave, giving no explanation. Thanking him, Byleth made her way out of the classroom and headed for the dormitories. In all honesty, she doubted she would be treated any differently than Hubert, turned away without hesitation, but she was worried for the girl, and she figured it couldn’t hurt to at least check up on her. 

Coming to a stop in front of Edelgard’s door, Byleth took a breath to compose herself before gently rapping her knuckles against the solid wood. For a beat, then two, no one answered. And from the silence on the other side of the door, Byleth wondered if Edelgard might have left after all, or if she had caught the girl sleeping. “Edelgard, are you in there?” Byleth tried again, letting her hand fall back to her side. 

A handful of moments passed, and Byleth was about to leave, resigned, when she caught the flicker of a shadow underneath the door. Then, the doorknob turned, slow and shaky, and the door swung open. Edelgard stood on the other side, leaning against the open door. “Professor?” she questioned quietly, clearly confused and taken off guard by the visit. 

She looked awful.

For a moment, that realization was the only thought Byleth could muster, and it took all her effort not to say it out loud. She doubted Edelgard would take very kindly to hearing that. Though, it was true, and she likely knew it. Her skin was pale, nearly ashen, and dark rings tinged the underside of her eyes, which looked rather glazed and glassy, lacking her typical sharpness. The usual, precise tying of her hair was nowhere to be found, and instead, the strands hung loose and messy around her face. And her whole demeanor, the way she carried herself, was different. Rather than standing straight, shoulders squared, holding herself with pride and elegance, it looked like it took all her energy just to hold herself upright. 

She looked tired. Really, really tired. 

Though, it was clear she still tried to put on a good face. She painted a pleasant smile to her lips, tried to sharpen the dreariness from her gaze. Then, immediately, realization sparked in her eyes, something worried pulling down at the corners of her mouth. “I apologize for missing your lectures today. I swear that it won’t happen again,” she said earnestly, tugging at Byleth’s heart. Even looking, and likely feeling, as miserable as she did, she was still trying to do her best. 

“Don’t worry yourself over it,” Byleth replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Can I come in?” she asked, changing the subject. 

At Edelgard’s small nod, she stepped inside, the door shutting behind her with a soft click. One quick glance around the room confirmed Byleth’s suspicions. Far from neat and made, Edelgard’s bed was rumpled, messy, like she’d been lying in it most of the day, and there was a half empty glass of water balanced on a post of the headboard for easy reach. And Byleth didn’t fail to notice that the small trash bin, normally beside the desk to catch scrap paper, had been moved to the side of the bed. That was never a good sign. 

“What can I help you with, Professor?” Edelgard asked, standing off to one side of the room. Her hands were clasped in front of her, hard enough to make her knuckles go white, and even the polished mask she had fixed in place couldn’t hide the slight, ill flush to her cheeks. “Did you need something?” she asked politely. 

“That’s enough with the formalities, Edelgard. I just came to check that you were okay,” Byleth said gently. At her words, Edelgard faltered, something like surprise flickering across her features. She pulled in a steadying breath and nodded, meeting Byleth’s gaze. “Now, please lie down; you look like you’re going to faint,” Byleth added, hoping Edelgard wouldn’t take it the wrong way. 

Though, it was her turn to take Byleth by surprise when she just looked relieved, letting out a quiet sigh. “Thank you,” she breathed, and it looked like the exhaustion of standing tall, playing at being well, stole into her all at once. All but crawling into bed, she nestled herself beneath the covers with little more embarrassment over it than a faint blush. Byleth knew then that she really must have been quite sick, to sacrifice her pride and image so easily. 

Quietly, Byleth made her way over to Edelgard’s bedside. Sinking down to her knees, she gently swept the stray, pale locks away from Edelgard’s face. And when she pressed her palm to the girl’s forehead, the burning heat she found there unsettled her. She was running a high fever, no doubt. Whatever she had caught was definitely a nasty bug, since Edelgard was just fine in class yesterday, and now she could hardly manage to get out of bed to answer the door. 

“How are you feeling?” Byleth asked, careful to keep her voice soft. For a moment, Edelgard just blinked back at her with dreary, hazy eyes, like she couldn’t figure out the answer. Then, she shifted, let a short exhale sift past her lips, and spoke. 

“Feverish, and more than a little nauseous,” she admitted hesitantly. There was sweat beading on her skin now, and she halfheartedly shrugged the blankets down lower. Carefully, Byleth pulled the blankets the rest of the way off, hoping to make her a little more comfortable. Edelgard looked so small and fragile, not at all like the confident warrior and leader Byleth knew her to be. A mess of pale, flushed skin, unkempt hair, and wrinkled sleepwear. It made everything in Byleth ache, from her heart down to her bones. 

“Have you been to the infirmary?” Byleth asked worriedly, lips pulled down into a frown. 

Nodding, her hair tousled against the pillow, Edelgard closed her eyes for a beat, throat working in what Byleth could only assume was an attempt to swallow down the nausea. Unfortunately, she knew that feeling well enough, the unpleasant rush of salvia before bile rose up, and her heart went out to the girl. When she composed herself enough to speak, she weakly met Byleth’s gaze. “Last night, before I felt so sick,” she affirmed. “Professor Manuela gave me something to help with the fever,” she said, vaguely gesturing to an open pouch on her dresser, an assortment of medicines spilling out. 

At that, concern squeezed at Byleth’s chest, constricting in her heart. If Edelgard’s temperature was still so high, even after receiving medicinal treatment, that was worrisome. Though, Edelgard shifted, clearing her throat a little, and pulled Byleth’s attention back on her. “Though, I haven’t...” she started, trailing off with an embarrassed blush. Byleth waited patiently for her to compose herself and finish the thought. “I haven’t been able to keep it down since last night,” she admitted shyly, going pink with the implications. 

“Edelgard...” Byleth murmured, tender and sympathetic. It was no wonder she hadn’t made it to class, given the shape she was in. Though, it at least made Byleth feel a little better to hear that the reason Manuela’s remedies weren’t working was because Edelgard wasn’t keeping the them down, not because the fever had gotten so bad it was untouchable. Still, that lent its own set of problems. 

Still kneeling beside the bed, Byleth tapped her fingers on the blankets a few times, debating what to do. The more worried, protective part of her wanted to scoop Edelgard up and carry her straight to the infirmary for more help. Though, she knew that likely wasn’t what Edelgard wanted, or she would have already gone herself, and there was only so much Manuela could do to help. She considered just leaving the girl to get some rest, but couldn’t bring herself to go, too concerned that something might happen. Just the thought had a heavy ache settling in her chest. 

Byleth was startled out of her thoughts when a flurry of movement caught her eye. All of a sudden, Edelgard rushed to sit up, a hand flying to cover her mouth. With her free hand, she reflexively reached out for the trash bin sitting on the floor. Hurriedly, Byleth handed it to her, worrying at her lip as she watched the girl struggle. Being careful not to jostle her too much, Byleth sat down on the bed beside her, sweeping her long, loose hair up and out of her face, just in case. 

Edelgard coughed, finally resigning to pull her hand away from her mouth, and hugged the bin close to her chest. Starting to gag, it wasn’t long before what little she had managed to eat, including the medicine, Byleth presumed, came back up. Careful not to pull at it, Byleth held her hair back farther away from the bin, wincing out of sympathy for the poor girl. Even once there was nothing left for her to throw up, her stomach continued to heave violently, forcing acid up her throat. In an attempt at comfort, Byleth rubbed gentle, soothing circles between her shoulder blades. 

When the nausea gave her a brief reprieve, the dry heaving finally quieting some, Edelgard eased back a little. Moisture shone on her cheeks, damp with tears, and she closed her eyes, pulling in ragged breaths. She looked absolutely miserable, nauseous and in pain, and Byleth wanted nothing more than to take all of that away. Eventually, when she was sure she was finished, Edelgard bent to set the trash bin back down in its previous place at the head of the bed. And when she righted herself again, swaying a little, she slumped against Byleth’s side, head falling to the crook of her neck. 

Allowing herself a moment to soak up the quiet comfort of the moment, Byleth let her gaze trail down to Edelgard’s delicate features. Her eyes had fallen closed, dark, damp lashes set against her pale cheeks, and her lips were parted slightly. Slowly, the labored, ragged rhythm of her breaths calmed and evened out, every exhale stirring the fine, pale hair that fell over Byleth’s shoulder now. Again, she looked so fragile, but this time, Byleth was nearly thankful for it. Of course, she sincerely wished Edelgard hadn’t gotten sick, but the vulnerability and trust she was extending to Byleth made warmth swell in her chest. She had never seen the princess so unguarded before, and she was glad that she was allowed into such a tender moment. 

Though, before Edelgard got too comfortable and dozed off on her shoulder, Byleth laid a gentle hand on her leg to get her attention. Hardly mustering the energy to open her eyes, Edelgard made a quiet, questioning hum in her throat. The dazed, glassy look in her eyes made something in Byleth’s heart melt, but also had worry coiling up tight in her chest. Retrieving the water glass from the head post, Byleth held it out in offering. 

Edelgard shook her head just a little, burying her face deeper into the crook between Byleth’s shoulder and neck. Sick like this, she almost reminded Byleth of a pouting child, and it was definitely humanizing, and kind of sweet too. “Just let me sleep,” she pleaded, voice slow and cracked with the exhaustion weighing down on her. And the near desperation in her tone almost made Byleth give in, but she knew better than that. 

“You need to drink something,” Byleth instructed firmly. When Edelgard still didn’t budge, Byleth took her small, clammy hand and wrapped it around the glass, forcing it into her grip. At that, she finally lifted her head, looking utterly exhausted but still managing an endearing pout. 

“You’ve been vomiting; you’ll get dehydrated if you don’t get enough fluids,” Byleth insisted. Then, her lips pulled down into a frown, brow furrowing slightly. “Actually, you’re probably dehydrated already,” she murmured quietly, contemplative and concerned. 

“I’ll drink it, so please stop worrying,” Edelgard relented, managing a weak smile. To Byleyh’s relief, she took slow sips until the water was all but gone, dutifully handing the glass back when she was finished. Byleth set it aside, Edelgard leaning back against her side. 

A better idea crossed her mind, though, knowing there was no way Edelgard could be comfortable sleeping for any longer period of time with her neck bent like that. So, instead, she coaxed the girl off of her, and moved to the side of the bed. She instructed Edelgard to lie back down, and she did with little hesitation. Then, carefully, Byleth shifted into place until Edelgard could lay her head in her lap. Normally, Byleth wasn’t interested in anything of that sort, but she allowed herself this one exception. Edelgard needed the company, and the rest, and Byleth couldn’t be the one to deprive her of that. Besides, it made her surprisingly happy to see Edelgard so relaxed and at ease. 

“Try to get some rest now,” Byleth whispered, gingerly sweeping the locks away from Edelgard’s sweat dampened forehead. 

Stirring ever so slightly, just enough to acknowledge she had heard the words, Edelgard let the smallest smile slip onto her lips. “Thank you, Professor,” she said, the quiet words packed with so much heart and meaning. And Byleth knew she wasn’t just thanking her for allowing her to sleep, but for every bit of help and concern she offered from the moment she stepped past the door. 

It wasn’t long before Edelgard’s breathing slowed and evened, falling deep asleep. Byleth was glad for it, hoping she could sleep away the worst of the fever and wake up feeling better. And, luckily, she had nothing pressing to do for the remainder of the day, so she resolved to stay with Edelgard until she was feeling better, or at least until her temperature came down some. It was probably going far beyond the duties of a professor, but she brushed away the thought. Her students were precious to her, and Edelgard in particular may have garnered a little more affection than the others. Byleth couldn’t help but want to stay by her side and protect her the best she could. 

So, that’s what she did. As the day stretched on, the sunlight streaming in through the windows turned from gold to red, and Byleth hardly moved an inch. Whenever the slightest hint of a frown, or the shivering beginnings of a tremble took hold of Edelgard, she smoothed her fingers through pale locks and tried to soothe away any pain. Byleth had decided it in that very first meeting, when she threw herself in front of an axe swing meant for Edelgard, that she would do whatever it took to protect the girl who had so wholly captured her attention, her heart. Whether it was the biting edge of a blade, the weight of her empire on her shoulders, or a nasty fever, Byleth would be right by her side through it all.


End file.
